Royalty and Werewolves
by weaselygurl
Summary: Sequel to Werewolves Aren't All Bad - Second year of the Marauders! Hope you like it!
1. Default Chapter

A/N Ok, here's the second year of the Marauders! For the newcomers to the story, the first year is written under the title of Werewolves Aren't All Bad. So – hope you like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or the other characters, they belong to JK Rowling. Of course.

"Come on, they're probably already there!" Remus exclaimed, pulling his trunk to the fireplace.

"Hold on, you're bleeding again," said Mrs. Lupin, grabbing her son's shoulder.

"No I'm not," Remus insisted, wiping away the trickle of blood from his cheek. "Come on, Mum, I told them I'd meet them there this morning!"

"Are you sure you're feeling up to it?" Mrs. Lupin asked anxiously, feeling overly protective of her son the day after a full moon. He husband put a hand on her shoulder.

"Lucia, I'm sure he'll be fine," he said calmly. "He's been looking forward to this. Just let him go."

Remus gave his father a grateful look. The older man handed him the Floo Powder, and Remus tossed a pinch into the fire and stepped into it with his trunk.

"Diagon Alley!" he shouted, and instantly felt himself start to spin. Remembering the time he had smashed his elbow on somebody's fireplace, he kept his arms close to his body. Just as the spinning started to make him feel sick, he fell out onto the floor in The Leaky Cauldron. Somebody grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Hey, where've you been?" asked Sirius, grinning as he stood beside James.

"Mum was fussing," Remus replied, straightening his glasses. "You know, what with last night and all."

"Well, come on," James said, gesturing to the door. "We've got some nothing to do for a couple hours, then they're having a back-to-school party of sorts. A dance or something. Should be fun."

"A what?" Remus asked, alarmed at the prospect.

"Come on, mate, you know you had the girls on you after you saved little Becky last year," Sirius laughed.

"I say we get to the broom shop as quick as possible," James suggested, already heading towards it. "My parents gave me leave to buy the best of the bunch this year, and I plan to take advantage of that offer."

_I could use a new one as well,_ Remus thought, knowing full well that he couldn't afford one. He thought of his old Flash 130 sitting by his trunk and sighed.

"What?" Sirius asked as they entered Flinch Quidditch Supplies.

"Oh, uh, nothing," Remus answered, turning to examine the Comet series. The three of them admired the brooms for a while before James went to what was unmistakably the best. The Lightning 44, newest broom in stock. Remus couldn't believe that James was being allowed to buy it, especially after he heard the price.

"Are you getting anything, Sirius?" James asked, after taking his broom back from the cashier.

"Not at the moment," Sirius replied, eyeing the Lightning with envy. "You'd better let me have a ride on that broom when we get to Hogwarts, though."

They put the broom in the room they were renting before going anywhere else. James wasn't about to take a chance with it.

"Well, we've still got an hour and a half until the party," James said, checking his watch. "You lot got anything you want to do?"

"Find trouble," Sirius suggested. "It's been a boring summer."

"Good idea," James answered with a grin. "Where do you propose we start?"

"Well, I did have one idea," Sirius told them with a glint in his eye.

"Now, you do realize that if we get caught, our parents will never trust us alone again?" Remus whispered nervously.

"So don't get us caught!" Sirius replied casually as they walked along the streets. "It's not like there's any way our parent could find out about it unless one of us blabs."

"There it is." James pointed to the sign, and Remus read it anxiously: _Knockturn Alley._

The three of them walked out of the crowd into the dark and dirty streets without being stopped. "Awesome," Sirius whispered, walking through the street boldly. "I wouldn't've been allowed in here ever, the way things were going before I left. Mum would've been afraid that I'd turn people in."

"Want to see what's in the shops?" James asked, already turning the handle on the door of a run-down building with no sign. Remus entered behind his friends, still a bit fearful, but starting to feel the thrill of going where he wasn't supposed to be. The store seemed to be empty of people, but there was no shortage of interesting items. Remus turned around slowly, taking in the scene. Suddenly, somebody leapt out of the wall towards him, and he jumped backwards.

"What!" Sirius asked when Remus ran into him. Taking a closer look, Remus realized that there was a mirror on the wall, and his face turned hot. The mirror wasn't an ordinary mirror, however; it took his image and gave it a life of its own. Remus watched himself in the mirror, and saw that his reflection was threatening him and making rude gestures. Turning away, the boy looked at some of the other items in the room.

"What's this?" James asked, picking up a harmless-looking silver pen. Then, he yelped and tried to throw it down. "It's biting me!" he exclaimed, struggling to shake it off. The pen seemed to be attached to his finger. "Come on, some help!"

Sirius grabbed James' hand and hit the pen so that it flew across the room and hit the floor, now with something attached to it that Remus discovered to be James' skin. The boy's finger was bleeding some, but he wrapped it up and insisted it was nothing before resuming his exploration.

_CRACK!_

Remus yelled and ducked as something whizzed past him, taking a piece out of his ear. He grabbed the injured ear and looked around to see Sirius standing with a guilty face next to a long tube. "Sorry," Sirius said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Get out!"

Remus spun around. A short, bony man had emerged from a back room and was now shouting at them at the top of his lungs.

"Out! Out! This is not the place for little boys! Get lost!"

The man pulled out his wand, and the three boys jumped up and ran for the door with spells exploding behind them. Once they were safely outside, Sirius and James resumed a carefree air.

"Is it just me, or does everything here have to do with pain and suffering?" Remus asked as they passed a shop selling books on torture.

"It's Knockturn Alley, what exactly did you expect?" Sirius responded, eyeing a group of people that were watching them from the shadows. "I would suggest that we cross the street just now, though."

They crossed the street, followed by the people that had been watching them. The boys increased their step, and the group behind them did the same.

"I'd say we run about now," James advised.

"Agreed. Diagon Alley is that way." Sirius pointed to a small street ahead and to their right. "Go!"

They ran as fast as possible, with a group of people just behind them. Sirius tripped, rolled, and jumped back up without missing a beat. They burst out into Diagon Alley out of breath and filthy. Looking at each other, the three boys started to laugh.

"Well then," Sirius said.

"Yeah," James replied, looking at his finger. They walked back to the Leaky Cauldron without another word.

A/N And so ends the first chapter of my new story. Hope ya like it! Back-to-school party will be up whenever my internet will let me get back onto fanfiction. Please review!


	2. The Dance

A/N Well when I tried to put the last 2 chaps of _Werewolves_ and the first chap of this up, my cpu was still blocking fanfic. It really didn't make me a happy person. Well, more chaps to put up when it finally does let me on. If it's not until I get to college then, well . . . . I'll have a few years worth of chapters to put up. Isn't that a lovely thought.

Disclaimer: Don't own Harry or the other characters. They are JK Rowling's.

Thirty minutes after they got out of Knockturn Alley, James, Sirius, and Remus had cleaned up and were walking to the center of Diagon Alley, where the back-to-school party was supposed to be. Sirius and James looked completely calm, but Remus was starting to get nervous again.

"Relax, Remus," Sirius said. "At least you didn't have to get a date to this thing, and it's not formal or anything."

Remus looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. The stars were just starting to come out, and the air was cool. As they reached the space where the party was, he tried to let himself get swept up in his friends' enthusiasm. Listening to the music, he didn't recognize the band, but decided he liked their songs. He followed James and Sirius to the buffet and loaded up a plate. As they ate and talked over various subjects, Remus began to enjoy himself. At least, until the music slowed to a dangerous speed.

"Excellent." James stood. "I'll see you lot later." He walked to where Lily Evans was sitting with her friends and said something they couldn't hear. She stood up after hesitating slightly and allowed James to lead her to an empty spot and began dancing. Sirius nudged Remus.

"That girl's got her eye on you," he grinned, indicating a black-haired girl sitting by two other girls. Remus reddened slightly, and looked down at the ground. "Come on, aren't you going to ask her?"

"Does it look like I want to?" Remus answered, trying hard not to look in the general direction of the girl.

"Yes. You just gotta get the guts to do it," Sirius replied.

"Why don't you go find someone to dance with?"

"I will, as soon as you do. If you don't go I'll shove you out of your chair and make you look like a fool."

"Such a nice friend."

"Did I ever claim to be?"

Remus took a deep breath and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. After throwing a helpless look at Sirius, he stood and walked to where the girl was sitting, his hands shaking slightly. He was standing in front of her much sooner than he wanted to be, and suddenly wished he was back in Knockturn Alley instead of here.

"D-do you want to dance?" he stammered, hoping it was dark enough that she couldn't see him flush. She smiled at him, and he noticed that she was quite pretty.

"Okay," she said, and followed him to the dance floor. Remus barely even noticed what song was playing. He was preoccupied with trying desperately to act relaxed and keep a conversation going. Vaguely, he was surprised that he hadn't seen her at Hogwarts last year, and decided he would look for her this year. He learned that she was also a second year and in Ravenclaw. The song ended, and Remus returned to where he had stood with James and Sirius.

"That didn't kill you now, did it?" Sirius asked. Remus ignored him and looked at James, who seemed to be in blissful ignorance of the world around him.

"I guess he got his dance with Lily," Remus said, and James looked up.

"Did I ever!" He grinned. "That was wonderful. Who'd you hook up with, Remus?"

"Uh . . . " Suddenly, Remus realized he had forgotten to ask the girl's name. "A girl from Ravenclaw."

"You don't know her name?" Sirius shook his head. "Well, at least you didn't completely lose your head when you asked her to dance."

Remus rolled his eyes, embarrassed. "You said I had to ask her to dance, not find out her name."

"Most people generally find out the name of their dance partner," James scoffed.

"Are you trying out for the Quidditch team?" Remus asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Of course!" James exclaimed. "Are either of you going to?"

"I might go for Beater," Sirius said, shrugging. "Don't know if I want to have an extra thing to do every day, though."

The conversation continued through varying subjects for a half-hour, until the next slow song began playing. Remus saw Sirius and James looking at him and immediately shook his head. "No. Not this time. Maybe later."

"You're no fun," Sirius said. "Whatever. I'll stay here too." Remus shrugged and looked straight forward. In less than thirty seconds, he saw a girl walking toward them, looking at Remus. His suspicions were confirmed when she asked him to dance. This time, though, he was at least calm enough to walk to the dance floor normally and ask the girl's name. When the song ended, he walked back to the side of the dance floor. He saw Sirius and James walking away from two other girls.

"We got asked right after you," Sirius explained when they regrouped. "Did you ask her name?"

"Jana," Remus replied.

"Good job," James laughed. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "Ok, we really need to find something to do. This has got to be the most boring thing I've ever been to."

"Got anything in mind?" Sirius wondered, staring at the few people that were dancing as if he were asleep. Grinning, James pulled something out of his pocket. Both Remus and Sirius leaned forward with interest.

"Brilliant!" Sirius whispered, looking at the handful of fireworks. Remus smiled at the idea, ready for anything that would make the dance a little more exciting.

"Where should we set them off?" James asked, fingering the small explosives.

"A couple between the buffet and the stage, some in that corner over there, and a few by that tree," Remus suggested. James and Sirius looked at him in surprise, since he had never really participated in planning the trouble. Remus shrugged. He was ready for some action.

"Ok, Remus, take the tree, and Sirius, you go to the corner," James said, handing out the fireworks. "Sirius should go first since he's closest to the adults. We'll go as soon as we see yours."

They split up, and Remus walked casually to the tree and leaned against it, dropping the fireworks at his feet. He watched his friends get to their positions and gripped his wand inside his pocket. Sirius bent down, and Remus saw a spark. He pulled out his wand and quickly lit the fuses of his three explosives, then walked towards a large group of kids. He could see James' position from where he was, and was glad to see that the fireworks were almost impossible to see as they shot up into the air. There was a loud bang as Sirius' exploded, followed by several more noisy cracks. Remus ducked along with everybody else, but he was laughing to see the shock on their faces.

The magical fireworks continued popping and lighting up the sky for almost five minutes. After about thirty seconds, everybody was looking up and pointing at the pyrotechnics. Remus, James, and Sirius kept away from each other and the teachers. The music had stopped, and the band was staring up at the sky as well. When the lights finally died down, the band slowly began to play again as the teachers and adults walked through the students. Remus was glad that the fireworks had been made by wizards. Muggle crackers gave off a smoky smell that would point out the perpetrator in an instant.

After fifteen minutes and stern looks and questions from three separate adults, Remus finally met up with James. "Old McGonagall is giving Sirius a heck of a time," James muttered, looking over to where Sirius was standing by the teacher. "She suspects him, but he hasn't given her anything to back it up with. He was getting some food by the time they went off."

"Watch your tongue, Black," McGonagall warned Sirius as the two boys walked toward the pair. "You may not have set off the explosives, but if you continue to be disrespectful, you'll have detentions waiting for you when you get to school."

"Can I leave now?" Sirius asked irritably, and she nodded. "Come on, lets get back to our room," he said to Remus and James, and they left without any further questioning.

A/N Ok I'm supposed to be getting a new internet server tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to put up these chapters. I'm still kind of working out a plot so this chapter was a bit random, and I don't know exactly how much time I'll have to work on the next chapters. Soccer practice is every day and so I don't have all that much free time, but if I can get on to fanfic now, then it'll definitely be less time between chapters.


	3. Hogwarts Express

A/N Dang it's good to be able to put up chapters again! I'm so glad that people still like my story! I should be able to put chapters up without any problem now, so hopefully there won't be months between chapters again. Anyway, here's another chapter of Royalty and Werewolves/P> 

Disclaimer: I don't own characters you recognize, only the ones that I've created/P> 

Remus, James, and Sirius sprinted toward the train and jumped inside just as it began to move. They had slept late and had some trouble getting to the station. They tried to catch their breath as they walked through the compartments, looking for one that wasn't completely full/P> 

"We're in luck," Sirius said, opening another door. "This one's empty."/P> 

The three boys sat down, and James yawned. "Wonder where Peter is."/P> 

"Not here," replied Sirius, shrugging. Just a few seconds later, the door opened again and a boy walked in. He was just a little bit taller than Remus and had light brown hair/P> 

"Do you mind if I sit here?" he asked. "There's not a seat left anywhere else."/P> 

"Go ahead," James answered, and the boy took the seat next to Remus. The three boys introduced themselves/P> 

"I'm Kevin," the boy said. "Is the train always this full?"/P> 

"Seems like there's never a seat left over," Remus replied. "There's probably just enough seats for everyone to fit."/P> 

"Makes sense," Kevin nodded/P> 

"You're tall for a first year," James remarked, leaning back in his seat. "Where are you from?"/P> 

"I'm, uh, not a first year," answered Kevin. "Second year, actually. I'm coming out of a private school a long way off."/P> 

"Out of a private school?" Remus raised an eyebrow, noting the boy's expensive-looking robes for the first time. /P> 

"Why?" Sirius wondered/P> 

Kevin shrugged, a little bit of unease showing in his face. Remus wondered if it was from Sirius' question, but Kevin answered almost without a pause. "I got tired of it and asked my parents to take me out. Too many people who thought too much of themselves."/P> 

For the third time, the door into their compartment slid open. Lily walked in with a girl that Remus recognized almost instantly. It was the girl from Ravenclaw, whose name he had forgotten to ask. His mind jammed as James quickly stood/P> 

"Hey, Evans," he said casually. "Have a nice summer?"/P> 

"It was fine, thank you," Lily responded coolly. Remus realized that when James had stood up, he had put himself between the girls and the door, which was probably why Lily was glaring at him/P> 

"Are you having some trouble finding a seat?" James persisted, not to be discouraged/P> 

"As a matter of fact, we have some friends waiting for us a few doors away," Lily replied, her green eyes clearly showing her irritation. The battle between Lily and James was interrupted when Lily's friend looked around the compartment for the first time/P> 

"Oh! Remus, right?" she asked. Remus nodded, his tongue seemingly frozen in his mouth. "I'm sorry I never introduced myself at the dance. I didn't think about it until you had already left. My name is Jessica. Just Jessie, if you prefer." She held out her hand, and Remus shook it briefly and smiled/P> 

"It's nice to meet you," he said, his brain finally working again. Lily looked back at them for a second/P> 

"It's good to see you again, Remus," she said. "Now, I would appreciate it if you could do me a favor and get a certain person to remove himself from his current position."/P> 

James shrugged and moved a little closer to the door. "If you wanted me to move around, you could've just asked."/P> 

For a moment, Remus wondered if Lily was going to slap James. Then, she took a breath and spoke through clenched teeth. "Potter, would you please return to your seat?"/P> 

Grinning, James bowed and sat down. Lily and her friend left without another word, though Remus thought he saw Jessie repressing a smile/P> 

"You know, she probably wouldn't hate you so much if you didn't needle her like that," Sirius remarked once they had gone/P> 

"But then it's not half as fun," James responded, still smiling/P> 

"Who was that?" Kevin asked/P> 

"Lily Evans," James answered/P> 

"James' obsession of the last year," Sirius added, and James rolled his eyes/P> 

"I don't _obsess/I, I notice," he corrected, and Kevin laughed/P> _

"As for the other girl, I don't recall ever talking to her," Sirius continued, glancing pointedly to Remus, who flushed. "Where'd you meet her, Remus?"/P> 

"She was the one I asked to dance," Remus replied, feeling his face burn. "I guess I know her name now."/P> 

"And she remembers yours!" James pointed out. "I think someone's got their eye on you."/P> 

"Not everyone has a memory as poor as yours," Remus said, wishing he could just brush off the event. James laughed/P> 

"Are you going to look for her at school?" Sirius asked/P> 

"I'll probably see her anyway," Remus answered, shrugging. "James will see her more often than I will, though, if she's friends with Lily." Sirius and Kevin laughed, while James put on a mock-hurt face/P> 

"You make it sound like I stalk her, Remus," James said/P> 

"You make it sound like you don't!" Remus retorted jokingly. James rolled up his sleeves/P> 

"All right, all right, let's settle this once and for all." He put his fists up just as a Prefect from Gryffindor, Matt Robik, walked into the compartment. James lowered his fists and rolled his eyes. "Can't that door stay closed for more than one minute?" Matt grinned/P> 

"Don't worry yourself, mate," he said. "If you're any good on the Quidditch field, you'll get no trouble from me. Holt told us about you, and if you're as good as he made you sound, you'll do well on the team. Just keep out of the way of the Slytherin Prefects – one of them is on the Slytherin team."/P> 

"Ah, they can't give me any more trouble than I've been in before," James stated, shaking his head, and Matt walked out. Turning to his friends, James explained, "Matt's one of the Beaters, among the best at the school."/P> 

The topic stayed on Quidditch for almost the rest of the ride, as James told Kevin about the different Hogwarts teams, then as all four discussed the international teams. Finally, after several hours, the train slowed to a stop in front of the Hogwarts castle/P> 

A/N The school year begins next chapter! Hope you enjoyed the story, and I'll await your reviews/P> 

TheDudeLordOfFantasy: Thanks a ton for your reviews! I hope the chapter is to your liking/P> 

LupinLover: Glad you like my story! Here's another chapter for you/P> 


	4. The School Year Begins

A/N A quick word of advice: if you intend to spend a day out in the sun snowboarding, don't forget the sunscreen, especially if you're wearing goggles. If you do forget, I can promise that the resulting sunburn will be strange and painful.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters you recognize from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books. Kevin, however, _is_ mine.

Remus followed his friends to a group of carriages. For a moment, he wondered why there were no horses ready to pull the carriages, then scoffed at himself. _It's Hogwarts!_ He thought. _No doubt there's plenty of spells to make the carriages move by themselves._ He was surprised by the comment Kevin made a moment later.

"What are those things?"

James smiled. "Those are what we call carriages." Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Not those, the things in front of the carriages," he replied. Remus turned to look at the carriages again, then gave Kevin a questioning look.

"Those weird things that look like horse skeletons with wings," Sirius said, pointing in the direction of the carriages. Remus and James turned to look at him, then at each other.

"There's nothing there," they said together, shaking their heads. Kevin and Sirius now turned to look at each other.

"Yes there is," Sirius answered with just as much certainty. "Look, the big black things in front of the carriages. Right there."

"Get along, boys, don't stand gawking," ordered a stern-looking, unfamiliar wizard. The four of them walked to one of the carriages and climbed in. Remus looked out at the front of the carriage again, then looked at his friends uncertainly. The subject was obviously present in their minds as well.

"I swear there's something there," Kevin said, shaking his head.

"I'll prove there's nothing there as soon as we get to the castle," James replied decisively. It was a short ride, and they soon were in front of Hogwarts castle. Everybody got out of the carriages, and James walked to the front.

"See?" He began walking past the front. "There's nothing-" Remus watched as James fell down hard on his rear and scrambled away, as if he had run into a brick wall.

"You just ran into it," Sirius pointed out. "There's something there."

Remus walked carefully to where James had been, his hands stretched out in front of him. He touched hard scales and recoiled, startled at the feeling.

"Leave the thestrals alone." It was the same wizard that had spoken to them a few minutes earlier. "Go on, now, go inside with the other students."

"What are thestrals?" James asked as they walked away.

"Aren't they supposed to be bad luck?" Kevin added. "And why couldn't you guys see them? They were right there!"

Remus, however, understood now. With his condition, he had seen and heard a lot about magical creatures. "They're only visible to people that have seen death. That's why people think that they're bad luck."

Sirius and Kevin glanced at each other, then looked away again. Remus guessed that they were recalling whatever circumstance had showed them death. He felt bad for making them remember what were obviously not good memories, but it wasn't as if it was his fault the thestrals were there.

They entered the castle right behind everyone else, and the first years came in after only a few minutes delay. Remus rested his head on his hands during the Sorting Hat's song, not really paying any attention. Suddenly, he was incredibly tired. He had only been getting about three hours of sleep a night for three or four days. During the Sorting, he made an effort to stay alert enough to clap when a new Gryffindor was assigned. It wasn't until the feast had started that he realized that Kevin had simply followed them to Gryffindor table instead of being sorted with the first years.

"Didn't you have to be Sorted?" Remus asked, scooping mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"They did it before the train left," Kevin explained. "They didn't want to make a big deal about a second year coming in with the first years."

Before long, the feast was over, and Dumbledore got up to speak. Now, with a full stomach, Remus couldn't stay awake. He was asleep after Dumbledore's first few words.

"Get up." Sirius shook Remus, and Remus jerked his head up.

"Wasn't 'sleep," he mumbled, putting his head back down.

"Come on, you can sleep when we get to Gryffindor." Sirius pulled Remus out of his chair, and Remus followed them down the corridors, still half-asleep. James said something to the portrait, and it opened into Gryffindor Tower. It was a welcome sight to Remus, but even better was a bed waiting in the boys' dormitory. He laid down and was asleep in seconds.

At breakfast the next day, Professor McGonagall handed out schedules to the Gryffindors. She gave Sirius a piercing look as she passed him, and Remus suppressed a smile. McGonagall and Sirius hadn't gotten along very well last year, and she seemed to remember that.

"Awesome!" James exclaimed, looking at his schedule. Remus turned. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts first."

Remus shrugged. "So?"

"Remus fell asleep last night, remember?" Sirius grinned. "He didn't see the new guy."

"We have a new teacher?" Remus asked, interested. "Who?"

"A certain Professor Andre Anon," James revealed. Remus dropped his fork.

"The animal guy? I thought they decided he was a psychopath!"

"Nope," Sirius replied. "He managed to get himself cleared of all charges. Quite a chunk disappeared from his vault, though. I'm willing to bet that a few people up top have gotten a few dollars richer."

"What about all the species he was breeding?" Remus wondered. Anon's case of illegal breeding had been the top story a couple of years ago.

"There were only a few of each species, so they held them in captivity until they died," Kevin answered from a few seats down. He looked like he was still trying to wake up. "I think a few of them are still alive, but they were mostly short-lived."

"That should be an interesting class," Sirius commented, scooping the last of his eggs into his mouth.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" James asked, pushing his chair back. "Let's go meet our new teacher."

A/N I honestly meant to put this up last week, since I was on Spring Break, but break was almost as hectic as school is. Now I'm back to trying to fit in writing between school, soccer, homework, and whatever else life decides to throw at me. Well, I'll put this up and hopefully get the next one written before too long. Only one more month of soccer, and then I'll have a little more time to write.

TheDudeLordOfFantasy: Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! Next chptr will have a bit more excitement, so don't give up hope of discovering a plot.

Emma: I'm glad you like this, and I'm always happy to have a new reviewer! I do try to check out some of my reviewer's fics, but like I said, I don't have a lot of time on my hands and I haven't read for a while. But if I get a chance, I'll be sure to look you up! Also see previous note about next chapter. Thanks for your review!


	5. The Clabbert

A/N Just FYI, U2 is great, no question about it. And Cadbury Eggs have more sugar than I know how to handle. We will now return to the regularly scheduled chapter.

Disclaimer: Do I really have to do this every chapter? You'd think saying it once would be fine. It's gets incredibly boring after a few chapters. I don't own the Harry Potter characters.

As Sirius, James, Remus, and Kevin walked up the stairs to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room, they were joined by Peter.

"So is the new professor the same guy that was breeding animals?" Peter asked nervously.

"The exact same," Sirius replied, and Peter shuddered. "What's the problem?"

"Animals don't like me," Peter answered as forcefully as his mousy voice would allow.

"They're not that hard to handle," Kevin said from a few feet away, and Peter looked at him for the first time. "I'm Kevin. New here."

"Oh," Peter responded, obviously a little shaken up by the newcomer.

"This is Peter," Remus introduced when it was apparent that the other boy had lost his tongue. "He's in Gryffindor as well."

"Where were you last night, Peter? I don't think I saw you in the dormitories," James recalled.

"I, uh –" Peter smiled sheepishly. "I got lost on the way." Sirius snorted, and James barely contained his laughter. Remus smiled and shook his head. Go figure.

By now, they had reached the classroom. Opening the door, they found that they were the first ones there. Not even Professor Anon had arrived yet.

"What's that?" Kevin was looking at the dark space under the teacher's desk, where a red light was floating in midair. Suddenly, a monkey leapt out, chittering madly and jumping around the room on the desks. Remus tried to get a good look at it when it was turned towards him. The red light they had seen was still glowing brightly in the middle of the monkey's forehead. A shriek from Peter made him jump, and then he heard sharp barking from behind them.

"Don't wet yourself, Pettigrew," Sirius smirked, crouching down to pet a small dog. Remus noticed that there was something odd about the dog as well; its tail was forked.

"A crup," said a voice from the other side of the room. The boys looked up to see a younger man walking out of the teacher's office, and Remus assumed it was Professor Anon.

"And that's a clabbert?" Remus asked, indicating the monkey. The professor smiled slightly.

"Yes. I see you already know a bit about magical creatures, then. You'll be Remus?"

"Yes sir," Remus replied, wondering how the man already knew his name. Maybe Dumbledore had pointed him out, given his condition.

"We'll be studying a great deal of them this year," Anon said as a few more students began to enter the room. "Please take a seat – near the front if you please – fill up the front rows first, you'll want to be getting a good look at creatures. Don't mind the clabbert –" as more students entered the room – "don't worry about the animals, they won't bite. Sit up front please, sit up front."

The class quieted soon, everyone eager to see what Professor Anon was like. Even Sirius seemed to be more interested watching the new teacher than picking on him.

"I am Professor Anon, and you will obviously be learning Defense Against the Dark Arts from me this year," he told the class. "We'll start simply for today by studying the clabbert, which you may have noticed swinging around on the ceiling. I've owned that particular clabbert for several years, so it is particularly tame and will not attack unless extremely provoked. If any of you are stupid enough to provoke him – " Remus noted that his eyes strayed towards the Slytherins – "you would do well to cover your eyes and start towards the Hospital Wing straightaway. Now, observe. Tell me the magical qualities of the clabbert."

There was dead silence, and students stared at each other. How were they supposed to know? A few people tried to take out their books, but Anon stopped them. Finally, a dull Slytherin voice said, "Its head glows." There was a bit of laughter at that, and Anon nodded.

"Good observation," he said, and Remus couldn't tell if he was sarcastic or serious. "Most clabberts only glow as a warning, but this particular one is either born that way or just paranoid. Watch more closely, class."

As Remus stared at the little monkey-like creature, he noticed that the clabbert rarely held onto anything with his fingers. "His hands and feet grip flat surfaces," he suggested, and Anon smiled slightly.

"Very good, Remus," he said. "Five points to Gryffindor for the first difficult answer. The clabbert's hands and feet can stick to anything he wishes them to, but he can slide down things as well, if he wants to."

Slowly, James, Sirius, Kevin, and a couple of other Gryffindors began to notice things as well. Extendable tail, hovering for just a second or two – they were subtle, barely noticeable even after watching the clabbert's movements for a while.

The class was somewhat shorter, as it had started late, and Remus was glad. It seemed almost a waste of time to spend a whole class just watching an animal. As he exited the room, he noticed Anon's eyes following him and his friends, studying them just as they had studied the clabbert. With a sense of unease, he wondered if they were being singled out for some strange purpose.

A/N wow. This chapter kinda, well, it was slow. It does add somewhat to the plot. It's a little short, but it's been stuck on my computer for weeks and it might as well be out there for you to read. My apologies for the decreasing quality – soccer/football season is now over, so I will have more time to work on the details. Next chapter will be up by next week, so check back for another chapter of Royalty and Werewolves!

TheDudeLordOfFantasy – Ok, so there wasn't exactly more excitement, but there will be next time! I swear! Thanks for sticking with me!

Io - Thank you for noticing that! I knew that part sounded kind of awkward but I couldn't think of why! I'm glad you like my stories - it's always fun to get reviews! Thanks for the input!


	6. Twins

Disclaimer: no I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters that you know so well.

The rest of the day was incredibly boring. They took notes in the rest of their classes, and it was mostly reviewing what they had done the year before. As they walked out of History of Magic, the last class of the day, Peter accidentally ran into Kevin from behind, nearly tripping him. "Sorry, Remus," Peter said, then looked up to see Kevin raising an eyebrow. "Oh – uh – Kevin, sorry." Peter's face turned red.

"It's okay, no worries," Kevin said, noting Peter's embarrassed expression.

"Come on, Peter, it's not like he's a Slytherin or something," Sirius remarked, shaking his head.

"You know, you two really do look alike from behind." James was standing behind them with his head slightly tilted. Remus and Kevin glanced at each other. For the first time, Remus realized that Kevin's hair was the same cut and almost the same color, and they were about the same height.

"You almost look related," Sirius added, scrutinizing them. Kevin grinned.

"You're my long-lost brother," he joked.

"I got kidnapped when I was two and never saw you again," Remus responded lightly, smiling. Something in Kevin's face changed, but only slightly. After a split second, Remus decided it was his imagination, but he didn't keep going on the joke.

"I say we go to the lake," James suggested as they walked down the corridor. "We have barely any homework, and it won't stay sunny for long here."

"You're getting better with your excuses," Sirius laughed, "but we all know why you really want to go down there."

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about, Black," James replied airily, walking ahead of them. The rest of them stopped walking almost all at the same time, except Peter, who kept walking for a few seconds before he realized they had stopped. The other three were stifling laughter until James turned around, nearly halfway down the corridor.

"Alright, I guess I'll just have to tell Jessie where you're waiting for her, Remus," James called back as he began to walk away. Before he had completely turned back around, he ran into none other that Lily Evans. Remus looked around quickly to make sure Jessie wasn't around to hear what James had said.

"My apologies, miss." James backed away from Lily just enough that he could look directly at her. "I was a bit distracted."

"I could hear that," Lily answered coolly, walking past James, past Peter, past Kevin, Sirius and Remus. Sirius waited until she was around the corner to say anything.

"You, my friend, have just been blown off by gale-force winds," he said, slapping James on the back.

"Just wait," James relied confidently. "I'll get her eventually."

"Yeah, when you're sixty," Sirius retorted. They continued walking, until they saw Jessica coming out of a classroom. Remus looked at his friends, almost ready to plead for help. James winked.

"We'll be at the lake," he told Remus, and the group kept walking, leaving Remus to talk to Jessie alone.

"Hi," Remus said, falling into step beside her. She looked up in surprise.

"Remus! I didn't even hear you!" she exclaimed.

"How was your first day back?" he asked, and she grimaced.

"I got caught passing notes and had to stay after class for the first lecture of the year," she sighed. "Professor McGonagall can carry on a one-sided conversation for the longest time. She spent the whole class time talking, then took fifteen more minutes telling me off. I mean, I can talk forever, but at least I let other people say something in between-" She stopped as she realized the contradiction she had just made between her words and her actions and laughed. "Well, I let people talk if they try hard enough."

Remus knew he should say something, but he didn't know what to say. Fortunately, Jessie started talking again almost immediately. "Oh, I'm sorry, Remus, but I have to go meet Lily at Gryffindor. It was nice to see you again! Next time I might even let you get a word in edgewise!" With a smile, she was gone, and Remus was left walking alone. He laughed softly to himself. Even though he would never say it aloud, Remus had to admit to himself that he was interested in the girl.

"Sir!"

Someone half-whispered to him from the stairway he had just passed. Raising an eyebrow, Remus turned around, confused. A Hufflepuff first-year was walking towards him, and the younger boy held out a piece of parchment. "This came for you," the Hufflepuff explained as Remus took it. Thoroughly confused, Remus looked at the unfamiliar writing on the front that addressed the letter to Kevin. Just as he noticed that, the first-year gasped. "I'm s-s-sorry, I m-mistook you for-"

"It's all right, Kevin's a friend of mine," Remus grinned. So they really did look alike. "I'm going to meet him right now. I'll give it to him."

Nodding, the first-year boy turned and walked away quickly. Remus walked in the opposite direction, wondering what the Hufflepuff boy had to do with Kevin. _And why did he say sir?_ Remus thought. It was an odd encounter.

By the time he got to the lake, his thoughts were back on Jessie and he had almost forgotten about the letter. "Well?" Sirius called expectantly when Remus was within earshot.

"Well what?" Remus asked innocently, and Sirius rolled his eyes.

"What happened?" James prodded.

"We talked," Remus shrugged. "Well, at least, she talked. What else did you want to happen? Oh, by the way, some Hufflepuff kid thought I was you and handed me this." He pulled out the parchment and held it out for Kevin.

"When you were with Jessie?" Kevin asked quickly. His face was paler, and he suddenly seemed nervous. As he reached out for the paper, Remus noticed that his hand shook slightly.

"No, he waited until I was alone," Remus replied, looking at Kevin questioningly. The boy forced a small smile.

"The Hufflepuff is a friend of mine," Kevin explained. "Sometimes my family's owl will deliver to him instead of me. I've tried to convince them to get a new one."

"Are you expecting bad news?" James asked after watching Kevin's reaction.

"Sort of," Kevin answered, pocketing the letter. "I just – didn't expect anything. I don't usually get letters unless something big happens."

"Oh." James didn't look completely convinced, but Kevin didn't dwell on the subject – not directly, at least. For the first time, he said something about where he had come from.

"We used to play Muggle sports in my town," he said as he stared out at the lake. "Tennis, football, basketball, we played whatever we could learn about. I stayed out of the house as much as I could. I always felt like I was a reminder to my parents, so I tried to keep out of their way as much as possible."

"A reminder of what?" Sirius asked. He and the other three boys were surprised at the sudden flow of words from Kevin. At Sirius' question, however, Kevin shook his head.

"Nothing."

For the rest of the day, Kevin refused to say anything more about where he had come from.

A/N Ok well I guess I'll be putting up both this chapter and last chapter at the same time, so . . . review!


	7. Sledding

A/N Well, I'm back.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters that you recognize.

"Look at that," James said, flipping through his book. "The Ghostbusters were real."

"Yeah, it was a Muggle movie," Sirius replied, leaning back in his chair.

"No, look here. After an outbreak of ghouls, these wizards stuck wands inside these fake machines to clear up the problem without revealing the magic community."

"That's great, James." Sirius rolled up his essay and stuck it in his bag. "Have you even started on your essay yet, or are you too intrigued by the Ghostbusters?"

"Finished a few minutes ago. What about you two?"

"Done," Remus and Kevin both responded.

"Great. Let's go make trouble."

The four of them left the Common Room. It had been almost three weeks since school started, and they had been stuck inside the castle nearly the whole time, due to rain. Today, it was still drizzling lightly, but it was much better than it had been.

"I say we go to Hogsmeade, we haven't gone there yet this year," Remus suggested.

"You're allowed to go to Hogsmeade?" Kevin asked in surprise.

"Not exactly," James grinned. "But it's close enough."

When they got to the statue of the humpbacked witch, no one else was in sight. Sirius whispered, "Dissendium!" and the passageway opened up. Sirius climbed inside, followed by Remus and Kevin. Just as James was about to slip inside, someone walked around the corner. Quickly, James leaned on the statue, closing it discreetly. Glancing down the corridor, he saw Lily walking towards him, doing her best to ignore him.

"Evans! Fancy meeting you here," he said as she drew near.

"What exactly are you doing here, Potter?" she asked, barely looking at him. James left the statue to walk beside her.

"Why not be here?" he responded. "This is just as good a place as any to be. It's a wonderful hallway, isn't it?"

"Shouldn't you be with your friends? Or were they the ones that had the statue open? You weren't planning a trip to Hogsmeade, now, were you?"

James grinned. "Not me, of course not. You of all people should know, I wouldn't dream of breaking the rules."

"I've noticed that about you," Lily replied. "Such a quiet boy. You should talk more, it's not healthy to keep everything inside. It could make you suicidal." She smirked. "Then again-"

"Hold it, Evans, don't say something you'll regret," James interrupted. "Your tongue could be sharp enough to kill me if I didn't stop it once in a while."

"Stop it?" Lily raised an eyebrow. "You're the one that sharpens it, Potter!"

"Take it into a room, you two," a drawling voice said softly. James looked up at a tall, blond Slytherin boy, most likely sixth or seventh year.

"We've got just as much of a right as you to be out here," he answered.

"You're a second year, you've got no rights," the older boy sneered. "I could blow you away before you could even think of a defensive spell."

"I could listen to him for hours," James laughed, unfazed by the Slytherin's threat. The boy narrowed his eyes and pulled out his wand. James shook his head. "No spells in the corridors, remember? Seven years and you still haven't learned the rules. Too bad there's a witness here. You wouldn't stoop to cursing a girl, would you?"

"Move along, Potter, Evans," said Professor Malevolent, walking up behind them. "Lucius, I need to see you in my office." James opened his mouth to say something rude, but Malevolent walked away before he could say it. The tall boy walked by, pushing James against the wall as he passed. Before James could mock him, he noticed Lily walking down the corridor. He jogged to catch up with her.

"Go away, Potter," Lily said flatly.

"What'd I do?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Why did you have to provoke him?" Lily stopped and looked up at James. "Don't you have any sense at all? He's a Dark wizard, haven't you heard what he's done?"

"No," James replied truthfully.

"There's a group of Slytherins that have been doing awful things for years here," Lily told him. "No one can identify them for sure, but there's been terrible things happening around them since Voldemort began to make problems. Kids have disappeared without a trace. He's one of them, even if they can't prove it."

"You make it sound like a horror story," James scoffed. "He can't do anything to me. If he was so evil, wouldn't he have hexed me back there, just for talking back?"

"This is why you're going to get in big trouble someday, James Potter!" Lily was thoroughly irritated now. "You treat everything like a big joke, and there are some things that you can't take lightly!"

James looked at her with wide, hazel eyes, like a hurt puppy. Lily turned around and walked away, almost sorry that she had shouted. Instantly, she scolded herself for being concerned with Potter. It was his own fault that he did stupid things.

When James finally returned to the passageway, Sirius was levitating himself about a foot above the ground, Remus was letting a beetle run across his fingers, and Kevin was lying on the ground with his eyes closed.

"What took you?" Sirius asked, dropping his feet back to the ground. "We almost left without you."

"I ran into Evans," James explained, taking the beetle from Remus and putting it on Kevin's nose. Kevin flicked it off, hitting James in the ear. "She made a big deal about me talking back to some Slytherin, Lucius something-or-other."

"Malfoy?" Sirius was suddenly alert. "You don't want to mess with him, James."

"That's what she said," James replied, throwing his arms up in the air. "Then she got all mad about me making a joke of it."

"He's a Malfoy?" Kevin asked. "I've heard of them. They're big on pain and suffering."

"He was full of himself," James said dismissively. "Come on, let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter characters you recognize.

"I've heard a lot about Hogsmeade," Kevin said, looking around at the various shops. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see it."

"It's a great place, no worrying about Muggles at all," James answered. "Come on, let's go to Zonko's."

"Hold on a minute." Kevin was looking off into the distance. Remus followed his eyes, and his heart sank. "Is that the Shrieking Shack?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered, trying not to look at Remus. "Heard about it, have you?"

"There isn't a wizard who hasn't," Kevin responded. "Can we go have a look?"

"It won't do any good," James told him. "We've tried to get in, and Sirius got a nice shock from it."

"Still –"

"Let's go look," Remus said, walking towards it. He didn't know exactly how he was going to get out of this. Sure, James and Sirius would cover for him, but Kevin wasn't stupid. He'd figure it out. Remus was even considering just telling Kevin the truth. Besides, there was a full moon in a few days, and Kevin would get suspicious immediately. Might as well just get it over with.

"It doesn't look haunted at all," Kevin remarked as they approached the shack.

"Wait a couple nights and it will," Remus muttered. Kevin looked at him questioningly. "Look, I, uh-"

"Kevin!"

An older woman was yelling at him from down the street. She stormed up to them and took Kevin by the shoulder. "What do you think you're doing here? Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Look, Miss, I don't think-" Sirius began, but the woman cut him off.

"Don't you start, young pup, you shouldn't be here either. You four had better get back to Hogwarts before I tell them about this. They don't take kindly to truancy. And you, Kevin, you had better learn to take things a little more seriously."

"I'm doing fine by myself, Lenora," Kevin said sharply, shrugging her hand off. "I don't need protection from you."

"You'll be singing a different tune when-" She stopped and eyed the boy sharply. "Get back to Hogwarts, and don't let me see you here again."

They waited until they were out of earshot to say anything. "Looks like I'm not the only one taking things lightly, then." James rolled his eyes. "You knew her?"

"Unfortunately," Kevin replied. "One of the nosiest people you could ever hope to meet. I used to get in trouble for the smallest things around her. It got so I would start doing big things just so there would be a real reason to be lectured for."

"Sounds like fun," Sirius said. "She a friend of your parents?"

"Yeah, you could say that," Kevin answered.

Two minutes after they had returned to the castle, the boys ran into Peter. "I've been looking all over for you," the boy said.

"It's a big castle, I doubt you could've been all over it yet," James responded. "Are any of you going to the Quidditch tryouts tomorrow?"

"Nope," said Sirius after a short pause. "I guess you're going solo on sports."

"More spotlight for me, then." James ran a hand through his hair before they entered Gryffindor, making it even messier than usual. As they approached the portrait hole, Lily and Jessie appeared on the out of an adjoining hallway. When Lily saw them, she groaned loudly, but that didn't dissaude James in the least.

"Evans! Long time no see! Listen, I've got a question for you." He put an arm around her shoulders and led her away from the group of kids.

"Hi, Jessie," Remus said, forcing the words out of his mouth.

"Hello, Remus," Jessie replied with a smile. "Is there anything you'd like to say before I get too carried away again?" Once again, Remus was saved from answering. Lily called James an idiot and marched away. Jessie gave Remus an apologetic look and followed her.

"What'd you ask her?" Remus wondered, staring after the two girls.

"I asked what her favorite flower was!" James opened the portrait door and went into the Common Room. "I think she's got a bit of a problem with me. Maybe she's overwhelmed by my good looks and charm."

His friends laughed. "Or maybe your ego is suffocating her," Sirius smirked, and James threw a cushion at him. Sirius used his wand to make it soar away, accidentally hitting a fourth-year girl. She gave him a dirty look.

"Sorry!" Sirius called, and she turned around without replying.

"That's a good way to show off for the girls," Kevin remarked, grinning.

"Alright, then, let's see you win a girl's heart!" Sirius exclaimed. "Ten Sickles if you can charm a girl off her feet on a first impression."

"You're on," Kevin said, walking over to an armchair and sitting. "Tomorrow, that Hufflepuff girl that's in our Charms class?"

"Which one?" Sirius asked.

"Ivy," Kevin replied. "Just wait and watch the master at work."


	9. Spell Tag

A/N Aaand I'm back here as well!!

The next day, the four boys searched for Ivy during lunch, spotting her just as she walked out of the Great Hall. "It's almost time for class," Remus observed. "You'd better catch her before she meets up with her friends."

"Right." Kevin got up from the table and hurried after her. His friends followed behind at a safe interval. They walked out of the Great Hall to see that Kevin was already walking beside her, apparently asking her a question. The girl nodded and smiled, and Kevin smiled back, completely at ease. The two of them continued talking as they walked towards the Charms classroom. About halfway there, they were joined by three or four of Ivy's friends, but Kevin didn't fade back.

"How does he do it?" Remus wondered in amazement, watching as Ivy introduced Kevin to her friends. Kevin said something to each of them, then joined in their conversation as if they had known each other for years. When they reached the classroom, Kevin finally left the girls, waiting outside the door. When the three boys reached him, he was grinning broadly.

"I'd say that's worth five Galleons to see," he said to Sirius, "but I suppose ten Sickles will have to do."

"Not so fast," Sirius grumbled. "Let's see if she so much as looks at you again."

During the class, it could not have been clearer that Sirius had lost. Ivy glanced at Kevin all through the lesson, and when she caught his eye once or twice, she smiled at him.

"I think we have a winner," James grinned as they walked out of the classroom.

"All right, all right," Sirius responded, shrugging it off. "I'll get you the money. We've got free time now, though, I say we go outside before it starts raining again."

"If it'll make you feel better," Kevin replied. They left the castle and began walking across the grounds, looking occasionally at the gray sky that was threatening to begin pouring again.

"Well, we're outside, what should we do now?" Remus asked, trying to keep his hands warm in his pockets. Silence met his words; then, James' face lit up.

"What about a round of Spell Tag?" he suggested. Remus and Kevin looked at him blankly.

"Spell Tag?" Kevin repeated, and Sirius joined in enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. "You set boundaries in the woods, or somewhere that's easy to hide in, then you go at each other with jinxes and hexes."

"Sounds like loads of fun to me," Remus said somewhat sarcastically. James missed the sarcasm.

"Yeah, it is!" he replied. "Nothing big, you know, just things you can undo a few seconds after you've hit the person."

"How do you keep score?" Kevin asked, and Sirius pulled out a piece of paper.

"James' dad helped us to make this when his mum wasn't looking," Sirius grinned. "You just write the names of the people that are playing, and it'll keep track of the hits they get."

"This is all well and good, but where are we going to play?" reasoned Remus. Even before anyone answered, he knew (and dreaded) what they were going to say.

"Well . . ." James said, turning towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I thought there were things in there." Kevin didn't look too keen on going into the Forest.

"Yeah, if you go in deep enough," Sirius told him. "We'll just stay on the edge."

James and Sirius led the way, and Sirius drew a long line on the ground just outside of the trees. "Everyone touch your wand to the line," he ordered, and they obeyed. "Once you're inside now, you can't get out. The boundaries wear off in twenty or thirty minutes. Ready?"

The four boys checked over their shoulder to see that no one was watching, and darted into the thick trees. Remus walked through the forest for a minute, straining to hear footsteps. Someone was off to the right. Quietly, he moved towards him, and saw that it was Kevin. Raising his wand, he tried to decide what jinx to use.

"_Rictusempra!_" James hit Remus from his left, and Remus fell to the ground, doubled over with laughter. He tried to speak, but James' Tickling Charm had done its work. As soon as he was released, Remus sprang to his feet, but James and Kevin had both disappeared.

Remus tried to walk quietly and find someone quickly, but he was no match for James and Sirius' experience at the game. Sirius got him with a Jelly-Legs curse and James used Levicorpus before he managed to sneak up on James.

"_Tarantellegra!_"

Instantly, James' feet began jerking out of control. James was so surprised that he fell backwards, his feet still kicking in the air. Remus was so glad he had finally gotten a hit that he forgot to run after he had lifted the jinx. When James raised his wand, Remus ducked under his friend's hex and sprinted away – straight into Kevin. Automatically, Remus raised his wand and cast Levicorpus, just as Kevin said an unfamiliar spell. Remus' vision went black, and he clapped a hand to his eyes.

"Let me down!" Kevin bellowed.

"I can't see you!" Remus shouted back. Light suddenly returned to his eyes, and he saw Kevin turning purple in the face. Remus let him down and took off running again, stopping only when he thought he was a safe distance from the others. He didn't even hear anyone coming up behind him.

"_Stupefy!_"

When the boundaries began to wear off, Kevin met James and Sirius just outside of the trees, and Sirius pulled out the scorekeeping paper. "James is first with fifteen hits," he said, and James bowed deeply. "Then – Kevin with ten, and I got nine."

"You got beat out by a first-timer!" James exclaimed.

"Barely," Sirius answered, rolling his eyes. "Remus – Remus only got two!"

"He's a soft-hearted fellow," James smiled. "Where is he, anyway? D'you think he got lost?"

"You didn't forget to lift a hex, did you?" Sirius asked Kevin, who shook his head.

"One of you Stupefied him, did you forget to bring him back around?" Kevin wondered, and James and Sirius looked at each other.

"I didn't do it," Sirius said, looking expectantly at James.

"It wasn't me!" James protested. "I've never Stupefied someone for a game, just in case it goes wrong and puts them into a coma or something."

The three of them looked at each other, worry starting to surface, and plunged back into the trees.


	10. Kevin

After ten or fifteen minutes of searching, Kevin turned back towards the castle. "We have to get Dumbledore," he declared, his voice strained. The two other boys followed him at a run, bursting into the castle and through every shortcut they knew until they skidded to a stop outside the Gryffin in the seventh floor corridor.

"Uh . . ." James stared at the Gryffin.

"Are you sure this is Dumbledores office?" Kevin snapped, unusually tense.

"Yes!" Sirius replied hotly. "No need to be rude about it, we're at least as worried about Remus as-" He was interrupted as the Gryffin suddenly leapt aside, revealing a tall wizard with long, white hair and beard. Dumbledore looked at them gravely.

"What is the problem, boys?" he asked, surveying them over his half-moon spectacles.

"Remus is gone!" James told him before anyone else could answer.

"Where was he last?" Dumbledore queried, not at all ruffled by the boy's upset tones. James didn't answer, not ready to admit what they had been doing, but Kevin spoke up immediately.

"Near the Forbidden Forest, sir, we were just on the edges and we – got separated, we searched and couldn't find him, and I thought I heard somebody Stupefy him." The boy said it all in one breath, and after a moment's contemplation, James didn't understand the terrified expression on Kevin's face. There weren't any really dangerous creatures on the Forest's edge, and Remus would be fairly safe. However, Dumbledore seemed to disagree. He sprang into action without questioning why the boys had been near the Forest.

"Go back to Gryffindor Tower, and do not let anyone suspect that something is wrong," Dumbledore said sternly. "Stay there until Professor McGonagall contacts you in person."

He swept off down the hall, and Kevin turned to go to Gryffindor. James and Sirius hesitated. "What're you waiting for?" Kevin asked sharply, obviously agitated beyond what the situation called for.

"Don't you want to see where he's going?" Sirius asked. "It's just the Forbidden Forest, it's not like anyone's out to hunt us."

"Course, not even that stopped us last year," James reminded him, and they grinned. Kevin, however, was getting more and more upset the longer they stood there.

"You don't understand," he said, grabbing them by their robes and pulling them along after him. The boys followed unwillingly, but made no further complaint.

"Hey look, it's that Malfoy guy!" James whispered, spotting the pale blonde hair from across the corridor. Kevin looked up and met Malfoy's eyes; Malfoy looked confused and outraged, and whatever color was left in Kevin's face drained out.

"This way," he moaned, turning into an adjacent corridor and speeding up even more.

By the time they reached their dormitories, James and Sirius were almost certain Kevin had gone mad. The boy checked to see that no was outside the door, then slammed it shut and made it Imperturbable. His friends were impressed by the casual use of a fairly high-level spell, but Kevin was still pacing the room, wild-eyed and full of unexplained energy.

"Kevin, what's going on?" Sirius demanded.

"The guys that snatched Remus were after me," Kevin explained bluntly.

"You? Why?" James questioned, dumbfounded.

"I'm a prince," Kevin told them, speaking feverishly. "Voldemort's trying to take over my country, it's the largest Unplottable region in the world, and it's got a Secret Keeper as well, my dad, the king. Voldemort had people inside the country working for him, they kept trying to kidnap me to get my dad to let Voldemort in, so my parents shipped me off here to make it harder for Voldemort to get to me. I guess Voldemort has someone working here as well, they tipped off the Death Eaters to watch for a chance to collect me, I'm willing to bet it was Lucius."

"Did you know who the Malfoys were before you came here?" Sirius wondered.

"Yes," Kevin replied bitterly. "His dad had me under the Imperius Curse for three days, making me do slave labor while he tried to ransom me off. I got free that time, and I was lucky we weren't too far from the towns. But it doesn't matter, now that Lucius has seen me they'll know that they have Remus, not me, and if they realize who he is, he'll be worth more to them than I would be."

"Remus?" James asked, bewildered. He had been to Remus' home over the summer, and he knew that the Lupins weren't wealthy. How could Remus have more monetary value than a prince would?

"Remus is my brother," Kevin told them, finally sinking onto his bed. Sirius snorted, making James jump.

"Ok, now you've gone too far," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Situations are weird enough that I might have believed you were a prince. But we know Remus' family. He wasn't adopted. You just blew your little story."

"You think I would joke about this?" Kevin was shaking from fear and rage. "It happened when he was two and I was nearly two. Nine months apart, see. Some crackpot showed up before Voldemort started in on us, and kidnapped us. He must've handed off Remus to the Lupins, modified their memory and everything so they would think that he was their real son. We never found out what happened to him, had no idea the kidnapper had dropped him anywhere around here, until I met him on the train. They found the crackpot when he was getting ready to drop me off at some other house. He got locked up in Azkaban for it, they say he was a madman, always muttering to himself about –" Kevin stopped short. "About fulfilling orders," he completed wonderingly. "So Voldemort was working his way in even then. No heirs, no Secret Keeper, no kingdom."

"You said you felt like a reminder to your parents," James recalled. "And when Remus said something about being separated at two years old –"

"I almost thought he already knew," Kevin told them. "But he was joking. It shook me up when he said it, though, and I think he saw it."

"How do you know it's Remus that's your long lost brother?" Sirius demanded.

"I just do." Kevin shrugged wearily. "I don't have solid proof, but I know he is."

"James." Sirius was looking at his friend with a sudden joy, his mind having changed subjects with the blink of an eye. "James, whoever snatched Remus is in for it tonight. Remus will be back by tomorrow morning, especially with Dumbledore looking out for him."

James stared at his friend for a moment before it registered. _The full moon,_ he thought, and a grin slowly spread across his face. "Don't worry about a thing, Kevin," he said happily. "Remus will take care of whoever kidnapped him, whether they were after you or not." Kevin didn't look reassured, but their confidence bolstered him through the rest of the evening. He removed the Imperturbable Charm from the door and feigned sleep as soon as Peter came in.


	11. Remus

Very early the next morning, Kevin was awoken by a sharp knock on the door. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Remus' empty bed. Guilt and fear crashed down on him again, and he barely heard McGonagall as she opened the door and told them to hurry to Dumbledore's office. Quickly, he, James, and Sirius dressed and went out the door, careful not to wake Peter, who was still snoring loudly, oblivious to the group's troubles.

As soon as McGonagall saw them coming, she whispered the password and ushered the boys inside. Dumbledore was at his desk; sitting in one of the cushy armchairs across from Dumbledore's desk was Remus, looking battered and worn. Instantly, the boys were at his side, making such a babble of noise that Dumbledore had to call for them to quiet down twice.

"Please, sit." The headmaster gestured at the other armchairs nearby. When they were all seated, Dumbledore spoke again. "Perhaps you can tell us what happened, Remus?"

The boy raised his head, exhausted and battered. "I don't remember much, sir," he said, every word seeming to sap his energy. "Someone Stunned me from behind, and I didn't come around until it was nearly dusk. I was rolled up in a sheet or something so I could barely move or breathe. The sun went down, and – well – I'm not exactly sure what happened after that," Remus finished, looking at the floor. Kevin stared at him. He had escaped from Death Eaters and he didn't know how?

"Thank you, Remus," Dumbledore said, apparently satisfied with the short, vague explanation. "I extend a word of caution to you all – especially you, Kevin Sanret. Do not take others' advice lightly, including those who seem to know very little. I assume you will entrust these three with your secret?"

Kevin nodded, and Dumbledore stood. "Well then, I suppose I should release you to your various activities. Remus, you have my permission and encouragement to return to Madam Pomfrey or myself, should you be suffering any discomfort."

On that note, they were dismissed from the office. James and Sirius congratulated Remus on getting away, slapping him on the back and telling him "it came in useful after all." When they turned to go to the Great Hall for breakfast, Remus turned the other way.

"I'm not hungry," he told them. "I need to go sleep for a while."

Kevin watched Remus go with a twisting fear in his stomach. He knew he had to tell Remus what he had already told Sirius and James, but he didn't want to be responsible for upsetting his new friend's life. How would Remus react when he found out his parents weren't really his parents?

Remus didn't come to classes all day, and when the boys returned to Gryffindor, he wasn't there.

"Where would he go?" Kevin asked no one in particular, feeling far more stressed than usual. James and Sirius shrugged.

"Remus wouldn't just skiv off class, he's a good boy," Sirius said, rubbing his forehead. Lily appeared out of nowhere.

"Where was Remus today?" she asked, and for once, James didn't try to show off. It showed how much his friend's second disappearance worried him.

"We don't know," James told her. "We haven't seen him since this morning. He looked terrible. Maybe he went to the Hospital Wing, but he never goes back there after – if he can help it."

"I found him behind the painting of Igor Igglethorpe last year, after you –" she stopped herself, and Sirius looked down. The memory of when he had crossed all of his friends still made him feel ashamed. After an awkward pause, Lily said, "Well, he might have gone back there. I'll see you around."

As she walked away, the three friends went back out the portrait hole, wasting no time in going to the fourth-floor painting. When they reached the last step of the staircase on that floor, they saw Remus walking slowly away from the painting of Igglethorpe, eyes down.

"Remus!" Sirius called, and the boy looked up. Remus lifted a hand, but didn't smile as the boys walked beside him.

"We were worried about you," James said. "You've never missed a full day of classes."

"Why didn't you wait for us at Gryffindor? We've wanted to talk to you," Sirius added. Remus just shrugged and kept walking. Kevin didn't say anything. _Why should I?_ He thought. _I'm going to rip apart the stuff he's known all his life. I don't have the right to talk to him._

The walk to Gryffindor was long and silent. When they were finally back in the dormitory, James looked at Kevin. "Can you fix the door?"

Kevin made the door Imperturbable, and James and Sirius looked at Remus. "What's going on, Remus?" Sirius asked directly. Remus pulled his knees up to his chest and sat there for a long minute, staring at his shoes.

"Did something happen last night?" James asked, trying to push without being completely insensitive. Remus nodded, and another minute or two passed in silence.

"I think I bit someone," Remus finally told them in a strained whisper, burying his face in his arms. Kevin's head jerked up. _Bit someone?_

"They deserve it, Remus," Sirius said strongly after a moment. "For what they've done, they deserve any horrible thing that comes to them." Remus was visibly trembling.

"What if they use it?" Remus' voice was muffled, but he was obviously beyond upset. "If they take that one person and start to spread it, it will be my fault. There's already at least one werewolf working to spread it to as many people as he can, and if that one works the same way, it's like I've just bitten loads of people that never would've –" His voice finally failed him, and he sat there, shaking silently.

"Remus, there wasn't anything you could've done about it," James said, while Kevin sat in shock at this new information. He had been sleeping in the same room as a werewolf for almost a month, that werewolf was his _brother_ – it was a strange twist to events.

"Don't!" Remus cried violently. "Don't say it wasn't my fault, it was, you don't understand what it's like to be a monster, you d-don't know how it feels to be a murderous, bloodthirsty beast, then turn back to a kid with just flashes of what happened the night before, and now I've gone and given other people the same experience!" A ringing silence followed his outburst, and Remus pulled the curtains around his bed. After a minute, Sirius pulled the curtains back. Remus was curled up under his covers.

"Remus?" Sirius said uncertainly.

"Go away."

The cold attitude was disturbing, especially coming from Remus. The other boys went to their beds, even though it was still fairly early.

_How am I going to tell him?_ Kevin asked himself over and over again. Every scenario he imagined ended up with Remus either furious or depressed. It was a long time before anyone slept.


End file.
